On 9 August 2026, we celebrate Women's Day and the South African Government's theme for Women's Month is to promote women's participation and representation in leadership and the economy. This theme aligns with the amendments under the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 that introduced sector-specific targets in the workforce aimed at addressing historical inequities and fostering transformation, particularly at management and executive levels.
What are the sector-specific targets?
Some of the purposes of the Employment Equity Act are to promote the constitutional right of equality through the elimination of unfair discrimination and to achieve a diverse workforce, as well as to promote economic development in the workforce. Historically, women have been underrepresented in senior positions across various industries. This is as a result of certain barriers in the workforce, such as gender bias, unequal access to opportunities, and societal stereotypes.
With the introduction of section 15A of the Employment Equity Act in 2025, the Minister of Employment and Labour is empowered to identify economic sectors and set sector-specific numerical targets for certain levels. These targets are designed to accelerate transformation within economic sectors and sub-sectors, with a particular emphasis on achieving equity at management and executive levels.
On 15 April 2025, regulations were published under the Employment Equity Act that introduced numerical targets for 18 economic sectors, including, but not limited to, Administrative and Support Activities, Construction, Education, and Financial and Insurance Activities. The regulations cover a five-year period from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2030 and set out targets that apply across four occupational levels: Top Management, Senior Management, Professionally Qualified/Middle Management, and Skilled Technical roles. As an example of some of these targets, the following targets were set under the Education sector:
> On the level of professionally qualified and middle management, the targets are 43% for male employees and 46.1% for female employees.
> On senior management level, the targets are 30.5% for male employees and 46.1% for female employees.
> At the top management level, the targets are 27.6% for male employees and 46.1% for female employees.
These sector-specific targets hold the potential to address inequalities in leadership roles and by mandating measurable targets, the new amendments to the Employment Equity Act compel employers to actively work towards gender equity. This means that it will create pathways for women to ascend to leadership roles.
How do these targets impact employers?
The new amendments and sector-specific targets only apply to “designated employers”. In general, designated employers are those who employ 50 or more employees. These new sector-specific targets are set to a five-year plan and employers are required to set annual targets for the first four years, with the aim to achieve the final targets as set out under the Employment Equity Act by the fifth year. This means that it is not something that will happen overnight and a structured approach allows for a clear roadmap to be provided that will allow the transformation whilst ensuring that progress is monitored and measured over time.
What is the impact of these targets and the Employment Equity Act on women?
The introduction of these sector-specific targets based on gender aim to promote equity in the workforce and the impact on women is that it provides a powerful mechanism for addressing gender inequalities. As mentioned above, designated employers are required to set overarching targets for gender representation and must actively improve female representation across occupational levels. This includes identifying barriers that hinder women's advancement and implementing measures to assist with ensuring that women's representation is not only prioritised but also tailored to the specific demographics of each sector. These new developments regarding sector-specific targets can be classified as affirmative action, which means that women now have the right to benefit from affirmative action measures designed to redress historical discrimination.
Apart from the new developments relating to addressing the gender inequalities, it is important to remember that the Employment Equity Act also provides other rights to women. One of those rights are that women must receive equal pay for work of equal value unless there is a fair and objective justification for a difference. Beyond remuneration equity, women hold the right to non-discriminatory treatment throughout all employment stages.
Conclusion
The new developments under the Employment Equity Act marks a pivotal moment in South Africa's journey towards gender equity in the workplace. By introducing sector-specific targets and emphasising transformation at management and executive levels, the amendments provide a framework for addressing historical disparities and promoting women's participation in leadership and the economy. As South Africa celebrates Women's Month, the focus must remain on fostering an inclusive and equitable workforce that empowers women to lead and thrive in all sectors of the economy.
Did you know…New sector-specific targets compel employers to actively work towards gender equity.